Introduction

The 45th Annual McGuire Lecture Series has been devoted to the subject of Immunology and the Rheumatic Diseases. In this two-day period, 22 outstanding physicians in the field of immunology and rheumatology brought an up-to-date overall concept in the field of rheumatic diseases. Subjects included not only aspects of pathogenesis but also modern laboratory methods in the diagnosis of various connective tissues diseases. The remedial surgical approaches for prevention of pain and disability in rheumatoid arthritis were discussed from a practical viewpoint

Summary of Papers Presented at the 45th Annual McGuire Lecture Series

It is the purpose of this presentation to quickly review some of the important points of the papers which were presented at the 45th Annual McGuire Lecture Series on the subject of immunology and rheumatic diseases

Immunology and Disease of Connective Tissue

Since immune responses play a major role in the development of connective tissue diseases, it is not surprising that a number of laboratory studies reflect these responses. Prior to the 1940s when rheumatoid and LE factors became widely known, one relied mainly on erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum electrophoresis to identify protein abnormality. Elevated sedimentation rate depends on rouleaux formation, and rouleaux formation is dependent upon large asymmetric molecules of fibrinogen and gamma globulin in plasma. The demonstration of gamma globulin has become the cornerstone of the immunologist’s edifice. It is amazing to see how the subspecialty of immunology has mushroomed to involve the many facets of disease processes such as connective tissue diseases, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, renal diseases, and cancer. More recently, immune deficiency diseases have included the pediatrician in the ever-enlarging field of immunology as has the modern-day discovery of human leukocyte antigen (HL-A) testing and tissue typing included the geneticist

Introduction

This issue of the MCV/Q is a continuation of the first issue of this year, which was devoted to the subject of Immunology and the Rheumatic Diseases. Many of the papers presented at the 45th Annual McGuire Lecture Series were published in the first issue and this will complete those papers which were submitted for publication

That Bandana Band

[Verse 1] The white folks gave a dance one night, Way down in Tennessee, To learn the famous Tango Rag and steps from o’er the sea. The orchestra began to play a tune that sounded tame, When someone, in the crowd yelled out, “For Law’s sake, stop that strain, And send for Johnson’s band, A truly band what am, They don’t need notes, it’s in their throats Out to their feet and hands.” [Chorus] Hear that cornet talking, Hear that trombone snorting, As the band is getting under way. Leader Johnson’s lying in her chair, Horn in the air, Don’t seem to care, Oh such harmony you never heard before! A slippry feeling comes a stealing When those notes, they come a pealing From that Bandana Band, Way down in Dixieland. [Verse 2] The white folk’s feet began to move, They all began to sway. Old Johnson sure was on the job with his big band that day. He filled them full of “Nigger Gin” to bring forth harmony, And Wagner’s celebrated tunes ne’er held such melody. The band was there for test. There was no time to rest; They closed their eyes and hypnotized the notes to do their best. [Chorus

Histocompatibility Antigens and Spondylitis

This is a transcript of a discussion about HL-A antigens and spondylitis at Medical Grand Rounds by the Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Ophthalmology on January 29, 1974, at the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond

Mexican Banks’ Acceptance and Use of Twitter to Assist in Evaluating Farm Loan Applications: Exploring the Role of Agricultural Loans on Food Security

Food security issues are a global concern of countless citizens irrespective of professional vocation or individual residence. Literature indicated numerous factors affect food security and researchers should continue examining elements that may influence food insecurity. The lack of acquiring finance can prohibit farmers from planting and harvesting crops, and thus, is a cause of food insecurity. Mexican banks receive economic agricultural forecasts from the Ministry of Agriculture. This study sought to describe Mexican banks’ degree of acceptance and use of the Ministry’s information on Twitter. Fourteen (N = 14) agricultural loan administrators from Mexican banks were examined to address this study’s research objectives. Agricultural loan administrators were interviewed to determine their acceptance and use of the Ministry’s statistics on Twitter. Participants reported the dissemination of agricultural statistics on Twitter saved banks time by providing a source that delivered specific crop forecasts and not all crop outlooks simultaneously. Twitter can be used to let a bank know the particular value of a commodity in real time thus being able to inform not only their financial decisions but notify farmers pursuing loans. The Ministry of Agriculture’s Twitter feeds increased performance and communication while requiring little effort due to the pervasive nature of the technology. The use of information disseminated on Twitter allowed farmers to receive funds faster thus enabling them to plant and harvest crops in order to aid in the battle against food insecurity

Factors Influencing Agricultural Leadership Students’ Behavioral Intentions: Examining the Potential Use of Mobile Technology in Courses

Mobile technology is pervasive at institutions across the U.S. The study was framed with self-efficacy theory, self-directed learning theory, and the unified theory for acceptance and use of technology. The purpose of this study was to assess undergraduate students' behavioral intention towards mobile technology acceptance in agricultural education courses. The population was undergraduate agricultural leadership students (N = 687) in a department of agricultural education at a land-grant university. Random sampling was employed to assist the researchers in answering the study's objectives and to generalize findings to the target population. Survey research was employed as the data collection method and descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression were implemented to analyze the data. Three hundred forty-four students were surveyed and 88.10% (n = 303) of the sample responded to the survey. Self-efficacy, level of self-directedness, and GPA explained 32% of the variance of students' behavioral intention to use mobile technology. The data suggested students are accepting the use of mobile technology in academic settings to enhance learning. By developing a better comprehension of factors that influence student's behavioral intentions with mobile technology, institutions may improve student learning and better assist institutions achieve strategic objectives through disseminating insti-tutional information with mobile technology

Promoting Community and Population Health in Public Health and Medicine: A Stepwise Guide to Initiating and Conducting Community-engaged Research

Various methods, approaches, and strategies designed to understand and reduce health disparities, increase health equity, and promote community and population health have emerged within public health and medicine. One such approach is community-engaged research. While the literature describing the theory, principles, and rationale underlying community engagement is broad, few models or frameworks exist to guide its implementation. We abstracted, analyzed, and interpreted data from existing project documentation including proposal documents, project-specific logic models, research team and partnership meeting notes, and other materials from 24 funded community-engaged research projects conducted over the past 17 years. We developed a 15-step process designed to guide the community-engaged research process. The process includes steps such as: networking and partnership establishment and expansion; building and maintaining trust; identifying health priorities; conducting background research, prioritizing “what to take on”; building consensus, identifying research goals, and developing research questions; developing a conceptual model; formulating a study design; developing an analysis plan; implementing the study; collecting and analyzing data; reviewing and interpreting results; and disseminating and translating findings broadly through multiple channels. Here, we outline and describe each of these steps